June 17th...On This Day In Sports History...

This Day In Sports History is a new daily blog post that will feature the most significant sports events that occurred on this date in history. Click here to see what you missed yesterday.

1876 - Philadelphia A's outfielder Geroge Hall becomes the first player to hit 2 home runs in a game and score 5 runs in a 9 inning National League game.

1880 - John Montgomery Ward, the man credited with developing the curve ball, throws the second perfect game in baseball history as his Providence Grays defeated future Hall of Famer Pud Galvin and the Buffalo Bisons.

1923 - Hall of Fame running back Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch was born.

1943 - Boston Red Sox player/manager Joe Cronin hits two pinch-hit 3-run homers in a doubleheader.

1956 - Race car driver Bob Sweikert dies in a Sprint car crash at the age of 30; he is best known for winning the 1955 Indy 500, the 1955 National Championship, and the 1955 Midwest Sprint car championship.

1960 - Ted Williams hits his 500th career home run.

1976 - The ABA and NBA merge (Nets, Pacers, Nuggets, and Spurs)

1978 - Ron Guidry sets a Yankee record with 18 strikeouts.
1980 - Tennis star Venus Williams was born.

1987 - Former Yankees manager Dick Howser dies of brain cancer at age 51.

1992 - The Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns.

1994 - O.J. Simpson refuses to turn himself in on murder charges; his white Ford Bronco is chased for 1 1/2 hours before he eventually gives up.

1997 - The NHL announces it will added a Nashville franchise in 1998, an Atlanta Franchise in 1999, and Minneapolis-St. Paul and Columbus, OH franchises in 2000.